Engine-starting apparatus



Aug. 3 1926.

BEST AJMLABLE (30w G. w. ELSEY ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed July 281924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gnwnkn 5 5E333 AVARLABLE COP? G. W. ELSEY ENGINE!STARTING APPARATUS Filed July 28 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M 72 a @@,,MMM

attorney;

BEST AVAZLQBLE C5??? Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFI'CEQ GEORGE, W. ELSEY, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA,ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS COB- PORATIQN', .A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ENGINE-STARTING ABFARATUS.

Application filed July 28, 192,4. Serial No. 728,586.

This invention relates to electrical starting apparatus forinternal-combustion engines and more particularly to the type ofapparatus which includes an electric motor and connections betweei-r themotor and engins including a pinion adapted to mesh with. a gearconnected with the engine and including means whereby the pinion will beautomatically disconnected from the gear when the engine becomes selfoporative. In this type of apparatus, the pinion is moved into mesh withthe engine gear by a pedal or other manually operable device which alsooperates the starting motor switch.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide formanually engaging the pinion with the gear andfor closing the motorswitch only. after the pinion has been moved manually into substantiallyfull driving engagement with the engine gear.

Further objects and advantages of the present inventionwill be apparent.from the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein pre 'fcrred embodiments of the present invention areclearly shown. 7 Figs. 1 and 2 of the-drawings are side views partly insection showing, respectively, the starting apparatus in normal ornon-operating position, and in position for cranking the engine. Figs-..3, 4 and 5, are fragmentary views on a; larger scale than Figs. 1 and2, showing modified .forms of the mechanism for connecting the motorshaft with the engine. g

Referring to .the.drawings,- the engine to be started is represented bya ti wheel gear 20 having straight spur teeth ad apted-to be engaged bya-pinion 21 having threaded en gagement with screw threads 22 providedon the exterior-of a sleeve 23 having screwthreaded engagement with thespiral-splines 24 formed on the motor armature shaft 25. A sleeve 26having fiangesQT and 28 defining a groove 29 is threadedly connected at30 with the sleeve 23. The sleeve 23 is proyided with a flange 31, andsleeve. 26 with a flange 32. The. flanges 31 and.32 limit the endwisespiral movement of the pinion 21 relative to the sleeve 23.

The electric startingmotor 35 includes a field frame 36 attached to agear housing 37 which provides a bearing 38 for the armature shaft 25,the left-end bearing of the shaft 25 being provided by a frame (notshown) attached to the left end of the field frame 36. The mechanism forshitting the sleeve 26, includes a pedal 3 attached by a rod 40- toalever ll which is pivoted upon r d 4.2 su ported by thehonsing Acupshaped member l is attached to the floor board lat of the automobileand surrounds the rod l0. A. spring i located between the cup member l3and the pedal 39 for returning the pedal 39 and the ler'er ll to theposition shown in Fig. l. Lever ll in cludes an arm 46 carrying a pivotstud for a latch lever 48 which extends through an opening l!) providedin the yoke 50 which connects two pinion-shifting lever arms 51, whichare received by the groove 29 of sleeve 26. The lever 43. includes abook 52. which is normally biased into latching engagement with the yoke50 by a spring 53 having one end 5-1 attached by screw to the housing37, and having the other end 56 passing through a, hole. 51 proridcd inan arm of the latch lever 48. The pinion 21 is provided with a flange 58for engaging a stop. plate 59 attached by screw 60 to the housing 37.The flange 5.8 is yieldingly maintained in contact with the plate 59, asshown in Fig, l, by a SPXl Qg 61 which is coiled around the rod aiidbears at one end 62 against the field frame 3,6, and hears z t-the otherend against the oke 50 of .the levers .51. The spring 61 endsto move thelevers 51 in a clockwise direction and, therefore, tends to move thesleeve 25 cndwisetoward the left to maintain the flange 58 in engagementwith the stop59.

he swit h 65- for controll ng the motor, includes a case 66 attached bya screw 67 to motor frame 3.6. The case 66 houses stationary switchcontacts, one of which is connected with the motor field windings andthe other with the switch terminal 68. A movahlecontact located withinthe case 66 engages the stationary contacts. This movable contact isconnected with a plunger 69 located in the path of movement of the lover.4= 1, .A Spring 70 tends to return the plunger 69 to switch-openposition.

F or receiving the thrust of the sleeve while the motor is cranking theengine, there are rovideda stop collar 71 pinned to the she t 25, and athrust washer 72 located between the collar 71 and a plane surface 73 onthe housing 3 3E8"? AVAllABLE CQFJ The invention is used in thefollowingGood results are obtained if the threads 2-1 manner: Pedal 39is depressed to cause the lever 41 to move counterclockwise. Motion fromlever 41 to lever 51 is transmitted through latch 48, thereby causingthe sleeves 26 and and the pinion 21 to move toward the right. If theteeth ofthe pinion 21 register immediately with the tooth spaces of thegear 20, the pinion 21 will continue to move into mesh with the gear 20.l Vhen the meshing of the pinion 21 withthe gear 20 has beensubstantially completed the motor switch will be closed due to theengagement of the lever 41 with the plunger 69. The motor shaft 25 willthen turn to cause the pinion 21 to be urged against the stop flange 31,and the flange 31 to be urged against the stop collar 71. When theseparts have been located in the positions shown in Fig. 2, the motor willoperate to crank the engine.

-l)uring movement of the lever 41 from the position shown in Fig. 1 tothe position shown in Fig. 2 the spring 53 will be moved into a positionwherein it is conditioned for biasing the latch: 48in a clockwisedirection. Whenthe motor begins to turn the shaft 25 and move. theflange 31 against the stop 71', pressure: between the' engaging surfaces of the latch hook 52 and the lever yoke 50 will bevreli'eved. Thentlre'spring 53 will be released to cause 'the 'la-tch 48"150' 'imoveinto the position shown in Fig. 2. The pedal 39is then disconnected fromthe pinion 21. Therefore', when the engine becomes self-operative, thepinion 21 will be automaticallydemeshedf from the engine gear due to thespiral'driving connections between the motor and engine, and thisdemeshment will take place regardless of failure to release the pedal39. 'f

Due to thefspiral'conneetionsbetween the pinion 21 and the sleeve 23,tlie pinion will be whirled against: the stop' flange 32 "due to thesuperior rotation "of the engine gear 20.

' Then thesleeve' 23will be driven spirally along the shaft'25. Duringthis'motion the flange 58 will strike the stop plate 59. and furthermotion of the pinion 21 to the left will be prevented. Due as, its ownmomenturn the sleeve 23"will 'conti 'riue to' m' ove spirally untilthelstop flange 3 I'eii'gagesthe pinion 21';

If. during movement of tliehileeve 23 to} ward the right,'the pinion 21.is"'no t brought into registration with the gear 20 but tooth abutmentoccurs and prevents movement of the p'inion"21 to' the right," thesleeve23 may continue to move spirally until the' stop flange 32 engages thepinion. :21; D uring this further movement of' the'sleeve 23the pinion21 will be' rotated'sligh'tly to bring its teeth into registration withthe tooth spaces of the gear 20. The spiralsplines or threads 24 have amuch greater lead than the threads 22 on the exterior' of sleeve 23.

vide a lost-motion connection between the sleeve 23 and pinion 21 sothat there may no relative motion between these parts, and also providea very satisfactory driving conmotion for transmitting the crankingtorque of the motor to the pinion.

In the form of the invention represented in Fig. 3, the connectingdevices between the motor and engine include a pinion 21 having skew orspiral teeth adapted to mesh with the corresponding spiral teeth of anengine gear 20. The other parts connected with the sleeve 23 areidentical with those shown in Figs. 1 and 2 xcept that 23 is splined on24 It will be apparent that the motor is automatically disconnected fromthe engine when self-operative, on account of the spiral gear teethconnections between the pinion 21 and the gear 20.

The form of the invention indicated in Fig. 4 is substantially the sameas that shown 'in Fig; 1 with the exception that'the pinion 21 isreturned to normal position against the stop flange 31 by a springsurrounding the sleeve 23 and located, as shown, between the flange 32and the pinion 21; Motion of the sleeve 26 to the left is arrested by astop collar SIsurronnding shaft 25, and the sleeve is maintained againstthe collar by the operation of spring 61.

The form of invention shown in Fig. differs from that shown in Fig. 3 inthe same manner thatthe form shown'in lfig'. 'diifers from that shown inFig. 1.

WVhile the forms. of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow. 1

WVhat is claimed is as follows:

1. Engine startmg apparatus comprising,

in combination, a motor; means for connecting the motor with a gear ofan'engine to be started, and including an enjdwise movable "androtatable member driven by the motor, a. pinionmovable'endwise with themember and adapted to mesh with the engine gear, connections between thepinion'and'memher 'proi' iding limited'rel'ative endwise movenient ofthe. pinion and member and providing for the turning of the pinion byen'dwise movement of the member in case motion of the pinionis'arrested' by the teeth of the engine gear, said means tonconnectingthe motor and engine including con'ner-ting devices which provide fora.ntoi-.iaticall moving the pinion and member togethcr in a1 directionto demesh the pinion when the engine starts; means for manually movingthe member to mesh the pinion and gear; and

means for causing the pinion to return to normal position endwiserelative to the member.

52. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; meansfor connecting the motor with a gear of an engine to be started, andincluding an endwise movable and rotatable member driven by the motor, apinion mounted on said member and having driving connections with saidmen'iber providing limited spiral movement of the pinion relative tosaid member where by the pinion will be turned by endwise movement ofthe member in case motion of the pinion is arrested by the pinionabuttin; the engine gear, said connecting means including connectingdevices which provide for automatically movingi the pinion and membertogether in a direction to demesh the pinion when the engine starts;means for manually moving the member to mesh the pinion and gear; andmeans for causing the pinion to return to normal position endwiserelative to the member.

3. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; meansfor connecting the motor with a gear of an engine to be started, andincluding a pinion driven by the motor and movable into mesh with theengine gear, and provisions whereby the pinion will beautomaticallydemeshed when the engine starts, said means includingconnections between the pinion and motor com prising a shaft driven 'bythe motor and a sleeve splined to said shaft and connected by spiralsplines with the pinion, the sleeve having stops for limiting the spiralmovement of the pinion relative to sleeve, whereby, in case motion ofthe pinion endwise is arrested by the pinion abutting the engine gear,endwise movement of the sleeve will impart rotation to the pinion, theconnections between the pinion. and sleeve causing motion to betransmitted from the pinion to the sleeve to move the latter endwisewhen the pinion is automatically demeshed; means for manually moving thesleeve to mesh the pinion with the gear; and means for restoring tonormal the position of the pinion relative to the sleeve.

l. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; anengine gear connections between the motor and engine gear including ashaft driven by the motor, a sleeve spirally splined to said shaft, apinion mounted on the sleeve and having driving connections with thesleeve providing spiral movement relative to the sleeve; means formanually moving the sleeve to mesh the pinion with the engine gear; andmeans for restoring to normal the position ofthe pinion relative to thesleeve.

5. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; anengine gear connections between the motor and engine gear including ashaft driven by the motor, a sleeve spirally splined to said shaft. apinion spirally splined to the sleeve and movable between two stopsprovided by the sleeve; means for manually moving the sleeve to mesh thepinion with the engine gear; and means tending to maintain the pinionnormally in engagement with the stop of the sleeve located nearest theengine gear.

6. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor;connections between the motor and engine including a pinion adapted tomesh with agear operated by the engine to be started, means includingspiral driving connections whereby the pinion will be automaticallydisconnected from the engine when the engine starts, and apinion-carrying member driven by the motor and having spiral drivingconnections with the pinion providing limited spiral movement of thepinion relative to the engine gear. the first-mentioned spiralconnections having greater lead than the secondmentioned spiralconnections; manually controlled means for moving the pinion-carryingmember to mesh the pinion with the engine gear; and means for restoringthe pinion to one limit of its movement relative to the carrying member.

7. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combinatioma motor;means'for connecting the motor with a gear of an engine to be started,and including a pinion driven by the motor and movable into mesh withthe engine gear, and provisions whereby the pinion will be automaticallydemeshed when the engine starts, said means including con-- nectionsbetween the pinion and motor comprising a. shaft driven by the motor anda sleeve splined to said shaft and connected by spiral splines with thepinion, the sleeve having stops for limiting the spiral movement of thepinion relative to sleeve, whereby, in case motion of the pinion endwiseis arrested by the pinion abutting the engine gear, endwise movement ofthe sleeve will impart rotation to the pinion, the connections betweenthe pinion and sleeve causing motion to be transmitted from the pinionto the sleeve to move the latter endwise when the pinion isautomatically demeshed; means for manually'moving the sleeve to mesh thepinion with the gear; and a spring bearing against the pinion for urginthe pinion against the stop nearest the engine gear.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

GEORGE W. ELSEY.

